Fold-up compact storage ice-fishing rig

Abstract

A fold-up, compact storage ice fishing tip-up rig is provided which is easily changed from fishing mode to storage mode, with the reel spool-shaft-crank trip arm assembly covered up safe from damage and entanglement when in storage mode. The ice spanning structure of the rig is a housing having a center portion with two side lids hinged thereto, with the assembly pivotally mounted in the center portion, and with a flagpole mounted thereto having a rigid flag. The assembly may be swung on its pivot from fishing position to a storage position in the center portion. The lids may be swung across one side of the center portion and locked to cover part of the assembly, and the flagpole may be swung and locked in position with the flag on the other side of the center portion covering the rest of the assembly.

I claim: 
     
       1. An ice fishing tip up rig comprising: a housing;   a flagpole spring mounted to said housing; a flagpole mounted to said flagpole spring and,   a spool reel assembly having a spool reel at one end, a crank tip arm at the other end, and a shaft therebetween, said assembly being pivotally mounted in the housing, swingable between a fishing position and a storage position;   said housing having a center portion of generally open-bottom, elongate box shape having a central chamber, and formed by a top wall, first and second end walls, and first and second side walls;   said top wall having an upward hump at one end of said central chamber near said first end wall providing an upward inner housing cavity within said upward hump;   said top wall having a downward hump at the other end of said central chamber near said second end wall providing a downward outer housing cavity within said downward hump;   said housing having a first lid hinged along the bottom edge of said first side wall swingable to a closed position covering said central chamber and said upward inner housing cavity, said first lid having an outward hump thereon forming an outward lid cavity within said outward hump, which lid cavity, when said lid is in closed position, registers with said inner housing cavity to form a reel spool enclosure;   said housing having a second lid hinged along the bottom edge of said second side wall swingable to a closed position covering most of said first lid except for said hump in said first lid;   said flagpole having a flat rigid flag mounted thereon, said flagpole being swingable to a storage position with said flag lying across said outer housing cavity to form a covered crank trip arm compartment;   whereby when said reel spool assembly is swung into said storage position, said first lid is closed, said second lid is closed over said first lid, and said flagpole and flag is swung to storage position, said reel spool is stored completely enclosed in said enclosure, said shaft is stored in said central chamber covered by said lids, and said crank trip arm is stored in said crank trip arm compartment.   
     
     
       2. The ice fishing tip up rig of claim 1, wherein said housing is a one-piece molded plastic structure. 
     
     
       3. The ice fishing tip up rig of claim 1, wherein the width of each of said lids is substantially the same and slightly less than the width of said center portion. 
     
     
       4. The ice fishing tip up rig of claim 2, wherein said first and second lids are hinged, respectively, by first and second thin walled hinge strips of thickness less than the thickness of said lids.